Family Recipe
by LostinOblivion
Summary: Addy has strep and Morgan has to go out of town for a case, so Rossi steps in to babysit the sick toddler, while Emily deals with pregnancy and morning sickness. Morgan/Prentiss. Sequel to Finding Home.
1. Chapter 1

_I realized I had this one almost finished, so instead of junking it, I decided to just write the end and post it. It also gives me a nice delaying tactic, because I'm no where near done with the birth story. I got kind of stuck on it, but I'm planning on having it done before March comes. _

_Thank you for reading, and reviews are always appreciated._

* * *

><p>"Yeah?" A gruff voice answered.<p>

"Oh Rossi man, thank god," Morgan breathed into the phone, and kissed his crying daughter's head. He'd been steadily running out of people to call, in fact he _had_ run out of people to call, Rossi was his last hope. "I need to ask you a huge favor."

"Morgan, nothing good starts with those words."

"It's not bad really, I just, well, Addy is sick with strep, and Emily's morning sickness is really bad right now, and she shouldn't be near the baby anyway if she's sick. If Emily gets sick it could hurt the…well, the other baby. And, I just got my ass called in on a case. Please, please come over here and take care of my daughter. I'm begging you."

There was a sigh. "I don't really have much experience with kids, Morgan. Can't you find someone more qualified?"

"No. I've tried. Garcia's in New Jersey with Kevin visiting his family, and JJ and Will are in PA this weekend with her family, and Hotch took Jack to New York to see Sean's new restaurant." Their team was off rotation this weekend, no new cases, no calls, no nothing, so everyone took the opportunity to get out of town for a couple of days.

"What about Reid? He's Addy's godfather, doesn't he want the bonding opportunity?" Before Morgan could speak, Rossi did. "Wait, he's at the damn Bureau thing this weekend isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is. And, I wouldn't say he's more qualified than you. Though I suppose he isn't any less qualified either." Reid had drawn the short straw of the team, and ended up packing his bags for a short retreat. It was two days of agents from different departments brainstorming…well, Morgan wasn't sure what they were brainstorming exactly. His task force was so new they were exempt from the meeting.

"Thanks for that."

"Man, you're qualified enough. Please help me out here," he pled. Then he turned to Addy. "I know baby girl, you want Mama, but you can't have her now."

"What about your neighbors, no kindly old ladies there to help?" Rossi asked, but Morgan could hear in his voice that he was caving.

"I don't know them that well. And if I'm leaving someone with my sick little girl, and my girlfriend who is carrying my unborn child, that person is going to be someone I trust with their lives."

Rossi was silent.

He tried a different tactic. "If not for me, do it for Em. I know you always liked her better anyway."

"I never said that!"

"You didn't have to, I'm a profiler man, I can tell you favored her, and I bet so could the others." It never really bothered him, or anyone else as far as he could tell, but after a few years on the team, Rossi seemed to have developed a certain affection for Emily.

"I don't favor her _that _much," he insisted.

Morgan chuckled. "Don't feel bad man, I favor her too."

"Very cute."

"I try," he said, and then, "So, are you going to help me out, or what?"

A long, pained sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way, but Derek, you give me detailed instructions for that kid. And, I mean really detailed. What to feed her, when to bathe her, what substances are necessary when I change her diaper, what times she sleeps, every damn detail you can think of."

"Alright, alright. You do realize though, that Emily will be here, right? She just can't risk getting near the baby and getting sick."

"I do, but if her morning sickness is as bad as it's been, she'll probably spend the entire time sleeping or vomiting."

Morgan winced. "Yeah, it's been that bad. She's sleeping now."

* * *

><p>Emily groaned as a hand shook her awake, and swatted at the offending body part, curling tighter into her cocoon. Morning sickness was a bitch and a half. She'd accomplished little more this past month than sleeping and vomiting. She was very close to the end of the first trimester though, and according to her slightly sadistic OB, the constant nausea should let up then.<p>

"Babe, I've got a case. I have to go," Derek said softly.

That got her awake, and moving far too quickly for her over-sensitive stomach to handle. It rolled, and she had to race to the bathroom to deposit the little water she'd had to drink into the toilet. After a few bouts of heaving, she settled heavily on the floor, trying to catch her breath and make her head stop pounding. Her face felt hot, and her throat was sore.

Then Derek was squatting down, looking at her worriedly. She turned to him. "What do you mean you're going? Who's going to watch Addy?"

"She's napping now, but Rossi's coming over, he'll look after Addy and make sure you're okay."

Her eyebrows rose. "Rossi? As in Dave?"

"Yes, he's the only one available." He ran a hand over her head, and almost without thinking, she closed her eyes and leaned into it.

She sighed. "Where's the case?"

"Portland."

Her eyes widened, and then she deflated. "Figures."

"At least we're starting in Portland, three bodies were dropped there, then he left one in North Dakota, and one in Wisconsin." If they couldn't catch a lead in Portland, they'd fly to one of the others.

"What's the MO and signature?" She asked, instinctively. Morgan shook his head, and suddenly she was being lifted into the air. "Whoa! Whoa, what are you doing?"

"Bringing the mother of my babies back to our bed. Relax," he whispered against her ear.

"If I didn't feel so awful, I'd hurt you." She didn't have the energy to fight him, and truth be told, she wanted to pull him down onto the bed with her, and snuggle into him. Stupid hormones. He laid her on the bed, and then leaned down and kissed her, completely ignoring her vomit breath.

Emily didn't resist, but kissed him back deeply, arms wrapped around him, keeping him close. She didn't want him to leave, and the thought of him being on the other side of the country made her assault more furious, more desperate. Her hands began roving around, tugging his t-shirt up, finding his belt, until he suddenly pulled back, removing her hands from his body.

"I wish I could, but I have to go, Em."

She frowned. "Tease."

He grinned. "Never intentionally. Not for you, princess."

"You better go, before Addy wakes up." If she did, she'd want her daddy or her mommy, and right now she couldn't have either.

He nodded, and Emily got up and followed him down the stairs, where his things were cluttering the living room. He'd moved everything from his house to hers, so that he could sell it. The small unit had nothing but furniture and some chintzy decorations the realtor had loaded it with for the open house.

They'd thrown in a bid for the house in Alexandria and won. The current owner, the old woman's daughter, had heard that two FBI agents with a toddler and a baby on the way were interested in buying, and she'd given it to them happily. She'd grown up in the home, and wanted it to go to another family. So, they'd gotten a mortgage from a local bank, and purchased it in a matter of days. Fortunately, the woman's daughter also lived on the other side of the country with three kids and a busy medical practice, and no time to deal with selling a house. The sale had gone through in record time.

Morgan was spending a lot of time there already working on things. He kept a list on the fridge and crossed them off as he went down it. Emily's eyebrows had raised at the notes to update all the locks, and select a security system. Part of her wondered if that was necessary, and part of her knew exactly what was running threw his head as he considered that aspect.

Every single home invasion, child abduction, and crazed stalker that they'd seen over the years.

She didn't argue.

The knocking at the door startled them both, and Emily sighed, dejectedly. "You finish getting whatever you need to together, I'll get the door."

"Uh Em?"

She turned back, offering him an annoyed look. "What?"

"You aren't wearing pants."

* * *

><p>The door opened to reveal an exasperated Morgan, who ushered him quickly inside. "You can toss your things in the spare bedroom," he said.<p>

Rossi nodded. "Where are the girls?"

"Addy is napping, and Emily's changing. Or throwing up. These days it could be either."

Rossi fidgeted. "Is that normal? Being that sick?"

Morgan shrugged. "According to her doctor, some women have worse morning sickness than others. If it doesn't let up in the next week or two, then we have to see the doctor again."

"Have you guys gotten the results of the CVS yet?" They'd gone last week, and he knew both parents were nervous about the results. Emily had told him that they were keeping the baby no matter what, but he could tell by the nervous look in her eyes and the tremor in her voice, she was far more worried than she let on.

"No," he said, then perked up with false optimism. "But you know these labs, man, they take forever to get anything done."

Dave nodded. "Yeah…" Then he smiled at Morgan. "Don't worry, kid. If this on is half as perfect as Addy, it'll still be better than every kid it goes to school with."

Morgan grinned. "I know it."

Dave felt for his friends, he couldn't imagine how terrifying it was to wait for doctors to tell you if your child was healthy or not. Especially with what they just went through with Addy. The toddler was picking up words pretty quickly now, though her favorites were still Mama and Dada. He'd swear it was like a cloud had been lifted from Emily since the day Addy had first said Mama.

"Alright, I have to run. I'll call to check in later." Rossi nodded, and watched Morgan quickly head out the door before he could get sidetracked by anything else.

And Dave was suddenly hit with the monumentality of his task. Derek Morgan had trusted him to look after the most precious things in his life, and that required a lot of trust on the other man's part. Morgan did not trust easily.

"Derek?" He turned to see Emily rounding the stairs into the kitchen. Her normally pale skin had taken on an almost greenish tone, there were bags under her eyes, and he was betting the t-shirt she wore was actually Morgan's. It hit just above her knees and said 'SWAT' in large yellow letters. This she wore over black sweatpants.

"Pregnancy doesn't seem to agree with you," he said.

"Tell me about it. I'm thinking this is karma for experiencing nothing with Addy." She slid into a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Morgan said it should be over soon."

"I'm not holding my breath," she quipped.

He sighed. "So, are you excited?"

"A little, I guess. Mostly, I'm just terrified. I don't know how JJ got through nine months of this. I'm barely at 12 weeks, and I already can't wait until it's over."

"Yes, but consider what you get at the end of this nine months. Surely, that justifies the misery." He ran tap water into a glass and handed it to her. If she was throwing up as much as Morgan said, she was probably dehydrated.

"Thanks." She took a sip. "It's hard to connect this little hobbit to an actual life, to picture it as a baby."

Dave blinked. "Did you just refer to your unborn child as a hobbit?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, that's what we started calling the baby. Something Derek said to me when I was in the hospital after I had Addy."

"I'm going to stop asking there, but I'm going to go out on a limb here, and suggest that maybe you'll be able to picture the baby as a baby easier if find a nickname that doesn't refer to hairy, gluttonous midgets."

Emily began to chuckle, then suddenly froze, slammed a hand over her mouth, and ran out of the kitchen. Dave shook his head. He was supposed to be at his cabin fishing today, but instead he was taking care of a sick baby and a pregnant woman, two jobs for which he was woefully under-qualified.

* * *

><p>"Shhh, come on sweetheart, I know you don't like it, but your temperature is too high." He had quickly discovered that when she was sick, the normally well-behaved toddler morphed into a little demon with a shriek that could send gargoyles scurrying from their posts.<p>

"Mama! Ma! Ma! Mama!" She hollered as he tried to get her into the cool bath.

"Mama can't be with you right now." Her response was a squeal and additional tears.

He finally got her into the tub, and managed to keep her there for a few minutes, running a washcloth over her head and shoulders. He'd threatened Emily with handcuffs if she tried to come to Addy's aid, insisting that they would be fine, and she had to worry about the baby inside her, he'd worry about the other one.

Red-faced Addy went limp, apparently giving in. She looked up at him with watery eyes that absolutely screamed pathetic, and were designed for nothing but inducing guilt.

"Dada," she said.

"Dada is at work now, catching the bad guys. Do you know what that means?"

She stared at him blankly. "Dada?"

Dave sighed and pulled her out of the tub, wrapping her in a big towel, and taking her back to the nursery. He checked the notepad of instructions, and noted that it was about time for more baby Tylenol. He pulled the box from the mess of sick baby supplies Morgan had left on the shelf beneath the changing table, and shook the bottle before filling the dropper and coaxing it into Addy's mouth. She swallowed and them made a disgusted face, her tongue flicking in and out like she was trying to get rid of if.

Then he got to work on the diapering business. As he'd requested, Morgan had written out instructions for diapering. Apparently, the only supplies he needed was a clean diaper, some wipes and a little baby powder. Since he'd bathed her, he figured he could skip the wipe step, and grabbed the powder instead, sprinkling a bit on the baby. Morgan had even left the fold-out of directions that came in the diaper box. This he could manage.

Once he fastened the sides, he picked her up and bounced her, checking that it was on, then smiled at her. "Well that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Addy grinned, and grabbed his nose. He chuckled.

"Alright, now I think we need to find you some clothes. What do you think?"

"Ohs," she said.

"Close enough, kid." He wrapped her in the towel again, and walked over to the dresser, pulling drawers open until he found pajamas. "Let's see, how about monkeys?"

She reached for it, and Rossi let her hold it as he brought her back to the changing table. "You know, you're not so bad when you aren't screaming."

Addy's response was to rest her head against his chest. Rossi swallowed and gently ran a hand over her head, surprised that she seemed tired already. She was very good when he put her pajamas on, and kept quiet as he walked to the kitchen, and pulled her sippy cup from the fridge. It was cold enough to help bring down the fever, but not overly chilled, and Addy drank from it greedily. Glancing at the clock, he noted that he had about two hours before he had to give her the antibiotics.

"Alright, what are we going to do now?" Addy looked up at him with her mother's big brown eyes, seemingly ready to do whatever he decided on. Dave put a foot on the first step to the second floor, and froze when he heard retching.

He'd lost track of how many times she'd done that in the few hours he'd been there, and began to wonder if maybe he shouldn't take her to the doctor. He turned to Addy. "What do you say to a nap?"

She looked at him blankly, still guzzling from her pink, plastic cup, with the funky flowers on the sides, it was no doubt a gift from Garcia. Rossi continued up the steps, and headed back to the nursery, setting Addy down in her crib. When he turned to leave, she stood and whimpered.

"I just have to leave for a minute, alright honey? I'll be right back." He ignored her ensuing whimper and made straight for the master bedroom, finding Emily crawling back into bed, looking absolutely exhausted.

"What's wrong? Is Addy okay?" She instantly demanded at seeing him.

"Relax, she's fine. I'm actually more worried about you."

Emily grunted. "I'm good. I don't think there's anything left in me to puke up."

"Morning sickness isn't supposed to be this bad," he said.

"Doctor said it can be anywhere from nonexistent to absolutely wretched, and that it should be over soon."

He was skeptical, but with his limited experience, decided that she knew best. "Alright, try and get some rest at least."

She nodded, burrowed into the covers. Rossi walked back to the nursery to find Addy had already fallen asleep, her empty sippy cup still clutched in her hand. He gently pried it loose, and headed down to the kitchen. He refilled the cup, and stuck it back in the fridge, before perusing the kitchen's contents.

He pulled out a package of chicken thighs from the freezer, defrosted them in the microwave, and chopped them so they'd cook faster. Then he grabbed a couple carrots, some celery, and onion, and an Italian's version of a little garlic—four cloves. He sliced and diced and sautéed the vegetables in olive oil, adding a little thyme, oregano, salt and a bay leaf, before putting in the chicken and two quarts of water. His Nona had taught him that when sick, chicken broth cures all ills, except of course for the cancer that took the tough old woman at 92. It hadn't matter that he was a boy, she had insisted that he learn how to cook.

To Italians, food is love, health, and wealth all rolled into one.

* * *

><p>Hours later, the broth was still simmering and Addy was being fussy.<p>

Dave sat in the rocking chair, holding the little girl in his arms. Her fever had dropped nearly a degree, but she still seemed lethargic and cranky. He wiped her drippy little nose, and hummed a soft tune, but she continued to whimper. She'd asked for Emily again, and then for Morgan, and he'd been unable to offer either. Emily had fortunately been asleep for the better part of two hours, and he found himself wondering how the hell she had managed to work while her morning sickness was so bad.

He slowly glided back and forth, running a hand over the toddler's dark hair and over her back. She really did look like a tiny version of her mother, and he smiled at the thought of a young Emily. She would undoubtedly have been a strong willed child, stubborn as a mule, but smart, too smart for her own good probably. He wondered if Addy would be the same way. If she was, Morgan and Emily were in for a hell of a time, but what an amazing woman she'd grow up to be…

Addy fidgeted, and Rossi slowed the chair to a stop. He'd given her the antibiotics an hour ago, and he figured if she was feeling a little better she was probably a little hungry. "You ready to get something to eat, bellissima?"

Addy looked up at him. "Dada?"

Rossi sighed. "He's busy catching the bad guys."

She looked down again, completely defeated. She was sick and all she wanted was her mommy and daddy. But thanks to the evil of the world, she couldn't have her daddy, and thanks to her parent's libidos she couldn't have her mommy.

Dave pushed himself up from the rocking chair, and carried the baby down to the kitchen. He was finding this childcare thing wasn't as terrifyingly difficult as he expected, or maybe he just got insanely lucky. Once he got Addy buckled into her high chair, and gave her a sippy cup of cold water, he checked on the broth. It was just about done, all he had to do was strain it.

He filled a clean sippy cup with strained broth, and set it aside to cool, then he cut up some apple and went looking for cereal. Cheerios, excellent. He set those aside, and grabbed a bowl, filling that with broth. He dug around in the cabinets before he located a tray, and set the bowl on it, along with a fresh sleeve of saltines, and a bottle of water.

"Alright, I just have to go for a minute. Be good for just a few minutes, and maybe I'll dig out some desert for after your dinner," he told Addy.

She pulled her sippy cup from her mouth and looked up at him. Rossi sighed and kissed the top of her head. "Two minutes, bellissima."

He had everything but the communication part figured out. How was one supposed to talk to a baby?

Dave set the tray by the bed, and gently shook the figure that had completely hidden herself under blankets. She groaned. Then she groaned again, and finally began to stir. "What's wrong?"

He rolled his eyes. "Nothing's wrong, Emily. I just brought you some dinner."

"I don't know if you noticed, but I haven't been able to keep much down." The sarcasm was another reason he was fond of her.

"I had, that's why dinner is broth and saltines. And, you will empty out that bowl, you need some nutrients in you, and so does the world's newest superhero."

"So, you're adopting Garcia's views on this baby?"

"You know she may have a point."

Emily pushed herself to a sitting position. "Don't hold your breath."

He smiled, and careful set the tray over her lap. Emily grabbed the spoon, and took a taste of the broth. "Wow, this is good. I haven't had broth like this since I was a kid, and the cook in Russia made it from scratch. She was always—wait a minute, did you make this?"

"I did, old Rossi family recipe."

"You made me broth?"

"Addy too. In fact, she's in her highchair waiting for her dinner, so I need to go." He turned to leave, but was stopped by her voice.

"Dave?" He looked at her. "Thanks," she said.

He smiled and headed down to feed the baby.

* * *

><p>Two o'clock in the goddamn morning and he was pacing the living room with a crying Addy in his arms. She'd been so good at dinner, so good when he put her to bed, and now she was hysterical. She was crying for her mother again, who'd appeared looking guilt-ridden, and very close to running down the stairs and grabbing her daughter. Dave had shaken his head and admonished her back to bed.<p>

After she stopped screaming for Emily, she'd started screaming for Morgan for a while, then back to Emily. Rossi had had enough of his babysitting gig. It was all well and good until his was pacing someone else's living room at two a.m. with a toddler squalling over his shoulder. Sighing, he hiked back up the stairs and into the nursery, ignoring the sounds of retching coming from the bathroom. Morgan better give her a diamond when she popped that kid out, for all she was suffering and would suffer through.

In the nursery, he headed straight for the bookshelf. It was already packed full of picture books and large story books with beautiful, full color drawings. Knowing Emily's love for books it shouldn't have surprised him. She'd once confessed that she'd reread her few favorite books over and over again when she was a kid, because no matter how many times she moved, those stories were a constant. He figured part of it was that those characters couldn't tease her for being the new kid, and that the characters in her books probably stood in for her family.

It was a damn sad thought.

He selected a small handful of books from the shelf, and proceeded to the rocking chair, settling down, and shifting Addy into his lap. She was still crying. He put the books aside, heaved himself up, and snagged her blanket and a clearly loved stuffed pony. Then he sat again. He got Addy situated in his lap, wrapped loosely in the blanket, and handed her the pony.

"Ony," she said, quieting for a moment. "Dada."

"Did your Daddy get that for you?" He asked.

Addy nodded, little head moving up and down vigorously.

"How about we read a story?"

She aimed one chubby finger and pressed it against the pile in his lap.

"That's right, bellissima." He studied the books in his lap, and picked out one with beautiful, almost old-fashioned drawings. "_The Velveteen Rabbit_ by Fraser Simmons."

She sniffled, but seemed to have stopped crying. Thank god.

He began to read, his voice soft and buoyant as he told her the story of the toy that got to become a real rabbit. He made it through that book, two _Little Bear_ books, and _Goodnight Moon_, before she started to drift off. He picked up the last from the pile and kept going.

As he read, Addy nodded off, her head coming to rest on his chest, little body angling in, resting against his body. She held the pony with one hand, and had the thumb of her other hand shoved in her mouth. He paused in his reading to look down at her, noting the fine detail of her features. Her dark lashes were impossibly long, her cheeks still full and round, less red now that her fever had broken, and he watched the pony fall from her hand, and her tiny fist grasp his t-shirt.

Dave inhaled slowly, a small smile appearing on his lips. He may have just figured out how a lifetime player had suddenly become a father. No matter how crazy she may have driven him, there was something almost mesmerizing in watching her sleep. Such a tiny, beautiful little creature, and at the moment, almost entirely dependent on him.

His mind wandered to the day she was born, mid-flight in the BAU jet. He'd been genuinely afraid for Emily, hell, they'd all be afraid for her. The pain in her face, so much that Reid had half-dragged her into the bathroom, and god, that screaming. He'd never seen JJ that shade of pale, and Morgan had been pacing with an anxiousness he'd never seen on the other man. Then Reid had finally come to a diagnosis, and then there was disbelief, rushing around, and even more screaming.

And then suddenly, it had been quiet, except for the piercing shriek of an infant. He and Hotch had looked at each other, eyes wide, still unable to believe it. When they stepped into that bathroom, and seen a sweat-covered, red-faced Emily clutching a small, squirming bundle in her arms, it had been so surreal.

Now he was holding that child in his arms, just over 18 months later, and he'd watched her go from that itty bitty thing, to a happy toddler with a beaming smile.

When she wasn't screaming her head off, of course.

Addy stirred slightly, and Dave sighed and turned the page, picking up the story again.

* * *

><p>Morgan yawned as he turned his key in the lock. He couldn't believe that they'd finished the case that quickly, that had to be a record for his team. They'd found traces of varnish on one of the victims, like a person would use in high-end furniture. They'd determined the unsub's path, and traced furniture companies that used that route. Not a single furniture company sent it's trucks traveling that path, but one of them did freelance long-distance deliveries. They had a guy who went that path.<p>

That man had a large truck, an expensive digital camera, and a whole lot of trophies.

Hopefully, he'd rot in prison the rest of his life, unless of course one of those states should see fit to execute him.

Now though, Morgan just wanted to check on his girls. He dropped his bags by the door, and heaved himself up the steps, already imagining how good it would feel to drop into bed like a sack of potatoes and wrap his arms around Emily. Two years ago, that statement may have seemed weird, but now it was the most wonderful thought in his brain.

He stopped first in the nursery, amused to find Rossi passed out in the rocking chair, Addy curled up in his arms. He pulled out his phone and took a picture to show Emily later, and maybe Garica, just to completely embarrass his friend. Stowing the phone, he walked over, and began gently easing Addy from the old profiler's arms. Dave instinctively grasped her tighter, and blinked awake quickly, relaxing when he saw Morgan.

"You finished the case already?"

He rested Addy against his chest. "Yeah, didn't sleep at all, but it's done and I'm home, that's what matters. How was she?"

"Not bad. She decided to audition for a horror movie at around two this morning, but otherwise she was pretty good." Dave stretched and pulled himself from the chair.

Morgan touched his daughter's forehead, noting the absence of heat with relief. "You got her fever down, good job, man."

"I think the baby Tylenol and antibiotics should get the credit for that."

"Well, either way, thanks man."

Rossi nodded, winced as his stiff muscles slowly untwisted themselves. "I'm too old to be sleeping in a rocking chair."

"Yeah right, like it's that much different than sleeping in a conference room."

"Maybe I'm getting too old for that too."

Morgan scoffed. "I'll believe that when I see it." He looked behind himself then, then back at Rossi. "How was Em?"

"I got some food in her, I think that helped. She's not great though."

Morgan nodded. "Why don't you get home, you could probably use some rest."

"Yeah, so could you, kid. Remember you can't take care of them if you don't take care of yourself."

"I know, and I plan on sleeping the day away."

Rossi nodded. "Give me a call tomorrow, and let me know how the girls are doing."

Morgan said his goodbyes as the older man walked through the door, and then gently laid Addy in her crib. He pulled a blanket over her, and watched her eyes slip shut. Thank god. His daughter settled, he headed into the master bedroom to check on Emily. He felt terrible for what she was going through, even though she insisted it wasn't his fault. She'd had no morning sickness with Addy, and the only thing different was him. Something about his DNA mixing with hers made her sick to her stomach, now that was a romantic thought.

She was curled on her side, facing the door, and with the blanket tucked almost over her head. He kicked off his shoes, and quietly climbed on the bed beside her. She didn't stir at all, so he gently tugged the blanket away from her face. Emily groaned and mumbled at him. "Is she still fussy?"

"No, she's actually sleeping like a little angel."

Emily's eyes flew open to meet his. "You finished the case already?"

"Yep. Bastard will hopefully get the needle."

She smiled and then murmured happily, shimming toward him at the same time she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. She rested her head against his chest, and Morgan wrapped his arm around her. "I'm glad you're home."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

><p>It was late afternoon when the phone woke them. Emily pressed her body further into Derek's in hopes that pretending the phone wasn't ringing would be enough to make it true. It unfortunately was not, as Derek soon reached an arm over her to the bedside, and plucked the phone from it's cradle.<p>

His voice was gruff and low as he answered. "Hello?"

She felt his body tense, suddenly much more awake and alert than it had been. He pushed himself to sitting up, and so did she, praying that it wasn't work calling either one of them in.

"Yeah, she's here with me. Hang on a second." Morgan put a hand over the mouthpiece and looked at her. "It's the doctor, the test results are back."

Her mouth opened, and her stomach roiled and pitched like an ocean during a storm. Emily abruptly closed her mouth, and nodded, shimming to be next to him, one hand resting over her stomach.

"Hello, Dr. Andretti," she greeted, speaking into the phone Morgan held up between them.

"Hi, Emily. Listen, I have good news for you both. The tests came back negative, there's no signs of genetic abnormalities or diseases. Your baby is healthy."

Emily felt tears spring to her eyes, as she watched Derek's slide shut in relief. Their baby was going to be okay. "Thank you, so much doctor." She finally managed to speak.

"You're quite welcome…did you guys want to know the sex?" She asked them.

She glanced at Derek. Emily didn't want to know, but she wasn't certain about Derek. Well, Derek wasn't sure if he wanted to know. They'd discussed this last week, and never reached a conclusion.

Morgan smiled at her. "No, Doc," he said. "I think we'd like to wait."

"Then I'll leave you to your evening. Emily, you'll call my office to schedule your next appointment?"

"Yes, I'll call in the morning."

"Great. Congratulations to you both!" The doctor hung up, and the room seemed suddenly too quiet without her joyous tone.

Derek raised a hand and placed it on her belly, his large hand covering most of it. She wasn't showing yet, except the slightest curve you could only make out when she was naked. As if thinking about just that, he lifted up her shirt, and rested his palm directly against her skin.

"Hey there, Little Man or Little Princess. You hear that? You're healthy, so you just have to keep it together and make it through that whole development thing over the next five months. I'll make sure Mama eats a lot to give you enough fuel, you just make sure you have the right number of everything, all your organs work properly, and only one set of genitalia."

Emily smirked. "Way to put pressure on the kid."

"What? This is what all babies go through, and there's no reason he or she can't get through it just as smoothly as the rest of them. Like Addy."

She snorted. "You call Addy's gestation smooth?"

"Well, yeah I guess. I mean, you may not have known it was happening, but everything went the way it should on her end. She just came a little early is all…and without warning." He rubbed a finger over her belly. "You big sister came through this just fine, so don't you worry now. You'll probably be just like her."

"Speaking of Addy, you better check on her, she didn't wake us up."

He nodded, and started to get out of bed, but then turned back to her. "You know it's been over 24 hours since we started the antibiotics, it should be safe for you to hold her now."

"Yeah?" Emily tried not to sound too hopeful, though she desperately wanted to see her daughter.

"The doctor told me 24 hours is the general rule with Strep. I told him you were pregnant, he said it should still be fine."

Emily didn't wait to hear anything else, she took her now much more rested body, and headed straight for the nursery. She wasn't quite sure what Rossi put in his chicken broth, but she made a mental note to get a recipe. Her morning sickness was behaving for the first time in days.

When she reached the nursery, she found Addy sitting in her crib, playing quietly with her stuffed animals. The pony from Derek featuring prominently in whatever narrative she had going on, as it usually did. "Hey Baby."

Addy's head shot up, and she immediately jumped up and wiggled her arms. "Mama! Mama! Up!"

Emily happily scooped her daughter up, and held her close, pressing kisses all over her head. She could feel a heavy squish around Addy's bottom almost as soon as she picked her up. "You need a change, Addy."

"You want me to handle that?" Morgan asked, standing at the doorway. "A few days ago, the smell of a poopy diaper sent you running for the bathroom."

Emily shrugged. "I think she's just wet. You might want to stay close just in case though."

Morgan chuckled and stood beside her as she cleaned their daughter up. He sighed. "You know, not even two years ago, we couldn't have imagined this?"

She smirked. "Really, you never imagined one day that you might change a diaper?"

"That is not the part I was referring to," He said, smiling.

"Oh, so you never imagined you'd knock me up?" She teased.

"Not that part either."

"Really, then you had considered getting me pregnant one day?" She smiled as she grabbed a clean diaper from the pack.

"Well, I knew if I was ever ready to settle down, I'd want it to be with a woman like you." He wasn't smirking or joking, but looking completely serious.

She swallowed. "You never mentioned that."

He shrugged. "I hadn't though much about it in recent years."

"In recent years? Exactly when did you have this thought?"

Now he did smile, having gotten the upper hand. "Oh, a few months after I met you."

Her eyebrows rose, and she studied him. Then she picked a changed Addy up from the table, walked up to Derek, and pressed her lips up to his. "As soon as I'm puking less, we're dropping the baby with Garcia for the night, and spending a full 12 hours naked in bed."

Then she walked out of the nursery, Derek following her, chuckling lightly.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Before anyone starts wondering if this is foreshadowing some sort of love triangle with Rossi, don't. I kind of loath love triangles, so you'll never see me write one. I just really like the relationship between Emily and Rossi, and I got this idea (not sure where from), and ran with it._


	2. Chapter 2

Set this up, and forgot to post. Sorry!

A/N: 2/28/12

The birth story has been posted. It's called 'Meltdown', you can find it in my stories. You can also find the complete chronology for this series in the story titled, 'Series'.

-Lost


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